New Link Discovered Between Protein Synthesis and Autism (Premium)
Researchers at McGill University and the University of Montreal have uncovered a crucial link between protein synthesis and autism spectrum disorders.
Regulation of protein synthesis is the process by which cells manufacture proteins. This mechanism is involved in all aspects of cell and organism function. A new study in mice has found that abnormally high synthesis of a group of neuronal proteins called neuroligins results in symptoms similar to those diagnosed in ASD. The study also reveals that autism-like behaviors can be rectified in adult mice with compounds inhibiting protein synthesis, or with gene-therapy targeting neuroligins. Their results are published in the journal Nature.
